Fitbit vs. Smartphone

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fstfrd00
fstfrd00 Posts: 33 Member
in Getting Started
What are the pros and cons of using a fitbit vs. using only a smartphone with fitness apps?

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  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
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    I have had a fit bit for over 2 years. I just got an iphone in February.
    I use them simultaneously. My phone definitely picks up steps (on the elliptical) better than my fit bit.
    For walking (I do not run) they are pretty equal.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    You can take a Fitbit places that a phone is inconvenient or not allowed.
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
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    yarwell wrote: »
    You can take a Fitbit places that a phone is inconvenient or not allowed.
    I am not allowed my phone at work. My FitBit however I can wear.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
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    I can not use my phone at work either. However, I can, and do, keep my phone in my pocket, and it still tracks all the steps that I take throughout the day, and it always shows more steps at the end of the day than my fit bit.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    I tried using my phone and it didn't track steps very accurately. For example: This morning I walked from my bedroom to the kitchen and then to my computer; my phone has tracked no steps. My Fitbit however has tracked 174 steps this morning. Considering I didn't float to all those places, I'd say the fitbit is more accurate.
    I just placed my phone in my pocket and walked 100 steps (I counted). Fitbit now says 270 steps; phone says 120 steps.

    You can do a manual test by looking at the step count on both devices, walk 100 steps (you counting), and then check both and see which one is closer.
  • JanelleG0122
    JanelleG0122 Posts: 323 Member
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    My phone also shows more steps than my fitbit. A phone is not specifically designed for steps. My phone will mark steps if i'm in a vehicle and there are a lot of bumps, my fitbit however will not.
  • allbarrett
    allbarrett Posts: 159 Member
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    My phone doesn't fit in the pocket of the dress pants I wear to work (we're on the more formal end of "business casual". Hell, the bigger phones these days barely fit into any of my pants' pockets (stupid women's clothing). The Fitbit is on my wrist 24/7 except showers and doing dishes. :) Fitbit is cheaper too.

    Downside: wearing your Fitbit outside in the summer will cause tan lines. :)
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    My phone severely overcounts my steps. Take Wednesday...my Fitbit counted nearly 13,000 steps (which was a pretty active day for me at my job). My phone, in just the eight hours I had it in my pocket compared to the 24 hours a day my Fitbit is on, counted over 15,000 steps. For Monday, the difference was closer to 4000 steps.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    edited June 2015
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    The Fitbit corporation will tell you that the step count is not accurate on equipment at the gym. The step count will be low. By the answers here, it is apparent that the type of phone you have may be an issue as well. I have had a fit bit for a long time. I too have counted actual steps and find discrepancies. Also on counts of stairs climbed. If you stop in the middle of a staircase, you probably will not get credit for a staircase on your fitbit. I have the smaller iphone, and it is consistently close to the step count on the gym equipment that I use. Step count may also be determined by the type of app you are using on your phone. I belong to Anytime Fitness, and frequent 3 of their facilities weekly. I am confident that my iphone is keeping better track of my steps than my fitbit. My phone step count is very close to the step count I get on the machines at the gym, my fit bit is low, by several thousand steps. Having said that, for me, it is just fun to know these figures and both devices keep me motivated to move more, which is fantastic for me, and I will continue to use both. I started out with the fit bit one, then the force, and now I have had a Charge HR for a few weeks, and I really like the HR feature on the Charge HR.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    snowflake930 wrote: »
    The Fitbit corporation will tell you that the step count is not accurate on equipment at the gym. The step count will be low. By the answers here, it is apparent that the type of phone you have may be an issue as well. I have had a fit bit for a long time. I too have counted actual steps and find discrepancies. Also on counts of stairs climbed. If you stop in the middle of a staircase, you probably will not get credit for a staircase on your fitbit. I have the smaller iphone, and it is consistently close to the step count on the gym equipment that I use. Step count may also be determined by the type of app you are using on your phone. I belong to Anytime Fitness, and frequent 3 of their facilities weekly. I am confident that my iphone is keeping better track of my steps than my fitbit. My phone step count is very close to the step count I get on the machines at the gym, my fit bit is low, by several thousand steps. Having said that, for me, it is just fun to know these figures and both devices keep me motivated to move more, which is fantastic for me, and I will continue to use both. I started out with the fit bit one, then the force, and now I have had a Charge HR for a few weeks, and I really like the HR feature on the Charge HR.

    If your talking about using machines like the elliptical, even Fitbit says their devices aren't designed to pick up the step counts from those machines and it needs to be manually logged.

    I have an iphone 6 and it's counter is all over the place. Sometimes under counting and sometimes over counting. I'm currently wearing 2 different fitbit's for comparison. The Fitbit Flex counts more steps than the Surge by several hundred. They are both on the same hand, so I'm wondering if the newer wrist worn Fitbit's are less sensitive to try and help minimize the steps being picked up from hand movement.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
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    @shadow2soul my first sentence says that The Fitbit Corp tells us that the step count on gym machines will not be accurate, indeed low. I too have done the two different fitbit devices at the same time with different numbers. I have manually counted the # of steps I have taken while on an elliptical for 5 minutes and multiplied it by the total number of 5 minute increments while using the machine. It is very close to the numbers given to me by the machine, and my iphone is very close to the machine. (keep in mind, I go to 3 different Anytime Fitness gyms, using 3 different brands of ellipticals, and I also have an elliptical in my home) Fit bit is off by several thousand steps (I usually go for 65 minutes). These numbers (elliptical machines & iphone) are very close (less than 100 steps) at every session. And the fit bit is ALWAYS way under. However, fit bit and my phone have very close numbers for walking/hiking.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    edited June 2015
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    fstfrd00 wrote: »
    What are the pros and cons of using a fitbit vs. using only a smartphone with fitness apps?

    Pros? I only take my Fitbit off to shower or charge it. Fitbit challenges are great motivation—and fun.

    Cons? The price—but I lost the weight & have maintained for a year thanks to MFP + Fitbit + Trendweight. Worth every penny. And the tanline on my wrist.

    You can learn more in the Fitbit group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
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    I find the Fitbit to be very accurate on my step count. I've checked it on several occasions and it's pretty spot on. Is it 100% ....probably not but 98% is close enough for me. It's also a lot easier to use then having to turn on an app on the phone while you're working out.

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